the look of the event. It should be
noted, however, that the high single-flight score for the contest belonged
to Dave Fitzgerald, who kept the
internal-combustion faith with his PA

75. There is no question that an internal-combustion setup is competitive, but I
think the writing is on the wall. It’s all
subjective, but the top four flew with
electric power.

After watching the qualifying rounds,
I thought that Orestes, Paul, Igor, and
Richard were the ones to beat—and that
is how it played out. Igor and Richard
were leading through the first two
rounds of the finals and appeared to be
the favorites, but Paul and Orestes were
improving as the rounds progressed. It
was probably going to come down to the
final round and, in Paul’s case, the final
flight of the day.

Orestes smoked his final flight, and
as his score hit the internet, there were
commotions across the field as everyone,
American was going to win gold. With
Paul flying last, you never want to count
him out, but he would have needed a
monstrous score.

In the end, Orestes ( 2,266.62)
prevailed with 2. 59 points over Igor
( 2,264.03), and 18. 70 over Richard
( 2,247.92). Paul ended up in fourth
place ( 2,230.60) and the team, with
its first, fourth, and ninth placings,
convincingly won gold over China and
Japan. Orestes also won the Australian
World Cup, the warm-up act to the
World Championships.

The contest itself was captivating,
and the Olympic-style ceremonies and
award presentations were fun, but you
shouldn’t lose sight of the numerous
international bonds that are created at
such an event.

From South Africa to Taipei, mainland
China to Russia, Italy to Slovakia, friends
are made in the heat of competition and
a common passion that is, perhaps, far
more important than the final standings.
It is refreshing to see people from
disparate cultures treating each other
with respect.

The USA F2B team has a long history
of representing the nation in exemplary
fashion. These events take a financial toll
on the competitors. Airfare, car rentals,
housing, and excess baggage fees usually
add up to thousands of dollars, of which
only a small percentage is compensated.
It would be nice if these dedicated fliers
could be supported in a fashion that
is commensurate with the effort and
commitment they expend.